Story and Source Ideas for Journalists

03/11/2013

This is a notice of upcoming events, photo opportunities and story ideas at UMass Lowell, compiled by the Office of University Relations, 978-934-3224. For more stories about UMass Lowell, visit www.uml.edu and click on “Media” at the top of the page. Please note that contact names below are for the media and are not for publication.

Sources of the week: A UMass Lowell political expert can discuss the possibility Jeb Bush will run for president in 2016. With a crop of new Boston-based reality shows on cable TV, a UMass Lowell faculty expert can share insights about why such shows now dominate popular culture and why Boston is the latest subject.

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River Hawks Soar into Hockey East Quarterfinals

When: Thursday, March 14, 7 p.m.; Friday, March 15, 7 p.m.; Sunday, March 17, 4 p.m. (if necessary)

What: With the Hockey East regular-season championship in their pocket – a first in UMass Lowell men’s hockey program history – Coach Norm Bazin’s River Hawks will take on the eighth-seeded University of Maine Black Bears in a best-of-three series in the Hockey East quarterfinals on home ice. With an overall record of 22-10-2, the UMass Lowell squad stands at No. 6 nationally. As the league playoffs begin, River Hawk Nation will rock the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell, cheering on the team to new heights. Tickets are available at the center’s box office, by calling 866-722-8780 or visiting www.TsongasCenter.com.

Where: Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell, 300 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Lowell

Contacts for media: Christopher O’Donnell, 978-934-2306, Christopher_ODonnell@uml.edu or Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu

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MelodyCurtain Rises on ‘Melody Cavalcade!’

When: Friday, March 15 and Saturday, March 16, 7:30 p.m.

What: The Greater Lowell Music Theatre will present “Melody Cavalcade!,” an old-time comedy radio show featuring the talents of Mara Bonde, Laura Sanscartier, Jerry Bisantz and UMass Lowell alumni Jack Neary and Leon Grande. The show includes classics such as “The Way You Look Tonight,” “Blue Skies” and “Mack the Knife,” along with Broadway show tunes performed by a big-band-style ensemble and chorus. The performances follow GLMT’s successful inaugural production of “The Music Man” last summer, returning many of that production’s talents to the stage. “Melody Cavalcade!” is presented in partnership with the UMass Lowell Center for Arts and Ideas and sponsored in part by grants from the Lowell and Chelmsford cultural councils. Admission is $20 for adults and $15 for seniors and students. Tickets may be purchased by calling 978-853-9620.

Where: Fisher Recital Hall, Durgin Hall, South Campus, 35 Wilder St., Lowell

Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu

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AdvancesAdvances in Solar and Wind Technology to be Examined

When: Tuesday, March 19, 4:30 p.m.

What: What is the state of clean technology in 2013? Scott Clavenna, the founder and chief executive officer of Greentech Media, will look at where the industry stands, with a focus on solar and wind technology performance and possibilities. The talk, free and open to the public, is presented by UMass Lowell’s Climate Change Initiative. Through research, academic programs and events, the faculty and student group explores the environmental, social, economic and political effects of climate change to develop more sustainable solutions to the phenomenon.

Where: Olsen Hall, Room 404, North Campus, 198 Riverside St., Lowell

Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu

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KerouacUMass Lowell Libraries Host Jack Kerouac Book Series

When: Tuesdays, March 19, April 9, April 30, 7 to 9 p.m.

What: The public is invited to the free Jack Kerouac book reading and discussion series that explores three of the author’s Lowell-centric novels: “The Town and the City,” “Visions of Gerard” and “Maggie Cassidy.” The UMass Lowell Libraries series, which began in January, features Prof. Todd Tietchen, a member of UMass Lowell’s English faculty, who leads discussions about each novel. A Beat Generation scholar, Tietchen is an internationally known Kerouac expert. Members of the public may attend one or all of the sessions, which will cover the books noted on the following dates: Tuesday, March 19 and Tuesday, April 9, “Visions of Gerard” (for the first session, participants will be joined by the community group Lowell Celebrates Kerouac!); and Tuesday, April 30, “Maggie Cassidy.” Participants who register now will receive free copies of “Visions of Gerard” and “Maggie Cassidy.” To register, go to http://libguides.uml.edu/kerouac or contact Sara Marks at Sara_Marks@uml.edu. Support for the series is provided by the UMass Lowell English Department and Office of Community and Cultural Affairs, and the Massachusetts Humanities Council.

Where: All programs will be held at O’Leary Library Learning Commons, South Campus, 61 Wilder St., Lowell except Tuesday, March 19, which will be held at Pollard Memorial Library, 401 Merrimack St., Lowell

Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu

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BooksHandmade Books Exhibit Illuminates Women’s History

When: Exhibit runs through Friday, March 22. Gallery hours are Mondays and Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; Fridays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; evenings and Saturdays by appointment.

What: Books crafted by New Hampshire artist Gail Smuda that transcend traditional structure and binding techniques will be showcased in “A Retrospective of Handmade Artist’s Books.” Using traditional sewing and embroidery arts with mixed media such as photographs, textiles and timeworn objects to build books’ contents, Smuda’s work speaks to women’s history, issues and gender roles. The show is presented by the UMass Lowell Art Department and University Gallery as part of Women’s History Month.

Where: University Gallery, McGauvran Student Center, South Campus, 71 Wilder St., Lowell

Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Michele Gagnon, 978-934-3491 or Michele_Gagnon@uml.edu

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WheelchairStudents Play Wheelchair Basketball in Annual Rivalry

When: Friday, March 22, 6 p.m.

What: In a test of skills and will, members of UMass Lowell’s Exercise Physiology and Physical Therapy clubs will face the National Wheelchair Basketball Association’s New England Blazers on the court. The annual game allows students to experience the challenges faced by wheelchair-bound individuals while the public enjoys the talents of the Blazers’ athletes. Will this be the year the students finally win? Tickets are $2 at the door and the event is open to the public.

Where: Campus Recreation Center, East Campus, 100 Pawtucket St., Lowell

Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu

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PoetsAward-Winning Poets Explore Lowell Roots

When: Wednesday, March 27, 6 p.m.

What: Writers with Lowell roots Kate Hanson Foster and Matt Miller will discuss and share their work as part of UMass Lowell’s Writers on Campus Series. Hanson Foster, a UMass Lowell graduate, was honored by the Massachusetts Center for the Book, which selected her poetry collection “Mid Drift” as a “must read” book of 2011. Many poems in the collection are set in Lowell and evoke both pain and redemption. Miller, a Lowell native, has been nominated for four Pushcart prizes and received the 2012 Vassar Miller Poetry Prize for his latest collection, “Club Icarus.” Free and open to the public, the event is presented by UMass Lowell’s English Department.

Where: O’Leary Library Learning Commons, Room 222, South Campus, 61 Wilder St., Lowell

Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu

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